Part 17 (2/2)
It was determined that the new steamer should be a further advance in size and equipment to prepare for the increased traffic now to be fed from both sides of the river. Additional capital was therefore required, of which part was provided by the Niagara Company, and part by the introduction of new stockholders, including Mr. E. B. Osler, and Mr. William Hendrie.
Here, in 1892, the purely family relations.h.i.+p of the first members of the Company closed, the stock holdings being more widely spread and the Board increased from five members to seven.
The services of Mr. Frank Kirby, of Detroit, the most accomplished designer of pa.s.senger steamers, were engaged, the plans made, the tenders of the Hamilton Bridge & s.h.i.+pbuilding Co. accepted for the hull, boilers and upper-works, and the engines contracted for with W. Fletcher Co., of New York, the builders of the fastest marine engines on the Hudson and the Upper Lakes. Mr. Geo. H. Hendrie left the next day for Scotland to arrange for the materials.
_Cibola_, Capt. McGiffin, and _Chicora_, Capt. Solmes, conducted the season 1892 with good success. Work on the new steamer was commenced at Hamilton.
Again the question of a new name arose, and this time it was considered that the name should still be Indian, but of Canadian origin. Thus the name _Chippewa_ was selected as that of a renowned Canadian tribe of Indians which had flourished in the Niagara River District, and also as a renewal of the name of H.M. sloop _Chippewa_, upon which General Brock had sailed on Lake Erie. It will be noted that the name is not that of the village and postoffice of Chippawa, but is spelled with an ”e,” being that of the Indian tribe. A fine carving of a Chippewa Chieftain's head, taken from Catlin's collection of Indian portraits, is placed on the centre of each paddle box, similarly as a rampant Buffalo had previously been placed on those of the _Cibola_. On 2nd May, 1893, the steamer was successfully launched in the presence of many of the citi-townsman, Mr. William Hendrie, and of a number of visitors from Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal. The name was given and the bottle gallantly broken by Miss Mary Osler, daughter of Mr. E. B. Osler, and Miss Mildred c.u.mberland, daughter of Mr. Barlow c.u.mberland. _Chippewa_, the _Indian Chief_, was the first of our vessels to be constructed of steel. Her tonnage is 1,574 tons. Length, 311 feet; beam, 36, and is authorized to carry 2,000 pa.s.sengers in lake service. The interior arrangements were more convenient and s.p.a.cious than any previously, and an innovation was the addition of a hurricane deck, upon which ample s.p.a.ce for pa.s.sengers is provided. The _Chippewa_ had satisfactorily pa.s.sed through her trial trips, and in May, 1894, the steamer, completed in every respect, sailed from Hamilton to take up her station on the Niagara Route. A goodly number of railway and steamboating officials and friends were on board under the leaders.h.i.+p of Sir Frank Smith.
Our steamers were that year running from Geddes' (now the City) Dock, as we had again, for the fourth time, been turned out of Milloys. Mr. William Fletcher, the builder of the engines, had come up from New York and was in charge of the motive department. It was a Sat.u.r.day afternoon. _Chicora_ was occupying the face of the dock, so _Chippewa_ had to come in on the west side. By some mischance she was not stopped soon enough and made her entry into Toronto by driving her nose some five or six feet into the wooden timber of the side of the Esplanade. The steamer seemed scarcely in motion, yet cut into the heavy timbers as though they had been matches. When backed out no damage was done excepting the loss of a little paint on the bow. The party landed, the Buffalo and New York visitors with Mr. Fletcher going off on _Chicora_ amid hearty exchange of greetings.
The introduction of a third boat on the Main Line made an exceeding difference in the frequency of the services, and again was at first a good deal in excess of the demand, or of business offering.
A new trip was introduced by the _Chicora_ leaving Toronto at 9 a.m., staying over at Lewiston and returning in the afternoon, making one round trip. The whole departure being five trips; 7.00 a.m., 9.00 a.m., 11.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m., 4.45 p.m. This 9.00 a.m. trip was not a success during its early years, but gradually gained in importance.
_Chippewa_ (Capt. McGiffin), _Cibola_ (Capt. W. H. Solmes), _Chicora_ (Capt. Jas. Harbottle), closed the season of 1894, in which much more activity was produced, and good evidences given of growth to be expected in the future.
In effecting its growth the route continued to be exceedingly a.s.sisted by the energies and a.s.sistance of the connecting Railway Company's officers.
_Mr. D. M. Kendrick_ had succeeded Mr. Meeker, and he in turn, in 1887, followed by _Mr. Henry Monett_. A most notable advance was begun during this regime, an entirely new idea being evolved. The reputation of the New York Central Railway for the regularity and character of its trains and service had been well created, but up to that time the Erie Railway, by persistent advertising, had been established in the minds of the public as ”_the only scenic_” route between Buffalo and New York. Mr. Monett inst.i.tuted a series of descriptive and ill.u.s.trative announcements developing the _Mohawk Valley_, through which the New York Central runs, as being ”_the really most beautiful_” route, pa.s.sing through the scenery of the romantic valley of the Mohawk and the mountain heights of the Hudson with all the advantages of _”a water-level line” following the coursings of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers_, and so giving a perfect night's rest.
It was a novelty and an inducement which caught the public idea, and added attraction to efficient service.
Owing to the early death of Mr. Monett in 1888, _Mr. E. J. Richards_ followed as Acting General Pa.s.senger Agent to 1889, with his intimate knowledge of the pa.s.senger requirements he gathered in and secured the business which Mr. Monett's methods had begun to attract. During his period _Cibola_ was added to our line.
With the career of his successor _Mr. George H. Daniels_, (1889 to 1905) there was a still further expansion of the advertising method of attracting business to the great railway, whose train service was of the highest development. The celebrated pamphlets known as the ”_Four Track_” series under Mr. Daniels led the way in railway advertising publications, introducing methods which since then have been so extensively followed and applied by all the princ.i.p.al railways. As an instance of widespread advertis.e.m.e.nt, no less than four millions of the one issue of the ”Four Track” series which contained ”_The Message to Garcia_” were distributed to the public, the demand for copies exhausting edition after edition.
_Chippewa_ and _Corona_ were both added during Mr. Daniel's term.
During the later changes in the Head Offices the local pa.s.senger representation in the Buffalo and Western district had been held in succession by _Mr. E. J. Weekes_ and _Mr. H. Parry_. No railway was ever better served, nor its patrons more firmly secured in friends.h.i.+p.
Equally successful a.s.sistance was given by _Mr. A. W. Ruggles_ and _Mr.
Underwood_ of the Michigan Central Railway, which with its quickest route to Buffalo direct from Niagara-in-the-Lake was specially developed.
Thus in a series of years, steamer after steamer had been added, each of the highest capacity, so that by mutual energy the good reputation of the route had been advanced and traffic gradually created, for, as each steamer was put on it created at first a surplus of accommodation, and an increase of running expenses until later the pa.s.senger trade had again worked up to the capacity. It is beyond question that the character and satisfaction of the steamers provided on a combined rail and water route have more to do with the attracting of business than even the land facilities on the railways. It is to produce this result that the railway companies steadily support the established steamboat lines in private owners.h.i.+p which have been developed in connection with them, as being the best way to secure fullest facilities for the public, and efficient service for themselves.
CHAPTER XVI.
”CIBOLA” GOES; ”CORONA” COMES--THE GORGE ELECTRIC RAILWAY OPENS TO LEWISTON--HOW THE FALLS CUT THEIR WAY BACK THROUGH THE ROCKS--ROYAL VISITORS--THE DECISIVENESS OF ISRAEL TARTE.
With three ”Line” steamers and five trips a day, the route kept on steadily developing, the service being attractive, and the line kept well before the public, but the season's traffic produced nothing of particular notice.
During 1895 came a set-back, and unfortunate loss, by _Cibola_ taking fire one night when lying alongside the dock at Lewiston. The upper works were entirely burned off and the hull, having been set adrift, floated down the river as far as Youngstown, where it was secured and brought to the dock.
_Cibola_ during her career had proved herself an efficient steamer, fast, economical, and satisfactory in all weathers.
Business had not so greatly increased that the remaining two main line steamers could not continue to sufficiently meet the service, so far as it then required, but immediate steps were taken to replace her loss and make ready for the requirements of the new electric railway then contemplated on the American side from the Falls to Lewiston. Mr. Angstrom, who had already done some excellent work as a marine architect, made the new design, and a contract was let to the Bertram Engine and s.h.i.+pbuilding Company, Toronto, for a steamer 272 feet in length, 32 ft. 6 inches beam, 2,000 horse-power, with a capacity for 2,000 pa.s.sengers, being larger than the _Cibola_. There was not this time so much difficulty in the selection of a name, as that of _Corona_ suggested by Lady Smith, was readily adopted. This name was all the more appropriate from the fact that the ”halo of bright rays” which are shot out and appear on a total eclipse of the sun is called the ”Corona of the Sun.” In this instance the new steamer _Corona_ was succeeding the eclipse of the _Cibola_, and represented the hopes and new conditions of the ”_bright sun ray_.”
The steamer was successfully launched at the yards at the foot of Bathurst street, on the 25th May, 1896, the sponsors being Miss Mildred c.u.mberland, daughter of the Vice-President, and Miss Clara Foy, daughter of the General Manager.
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